Referral Process
How to Refer a Student Who May Have a School Based Services (SBS) Disability
Child Find:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires schools to identify, locate, and evaluate all children who have disabilities and need services. While many students are identified when they are young, the child find obligation in Michigan includes all ages of children from birth to age 26. A strong child find system will include collaboration with outside agencies such as physicians and community mental health. Schools are required to adopt written procedures for child find that address at least the following elements: a system of tiered interventions, a robust student assistance team procedure, processes of entry for initials and transfers, timelines associated with evaluation, the use of surrogate parents, and parental consent. In addition to these procedures, schools are also required to annually inform the community of the available special education programs and services.